Angulation gauge to measure foot varus



Dec. 19, 1967 K. L. MARTIN 3,358,373

ANGULATION GAUGE TO MEASURE FOOT VARUS Filed May 6, 1965 J: E N: v

4 I 1 w 29% I i I l v /NVE/V7'0/? KENNETH L. MART/N ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,358,373 AN GULATION GAUGE T0 MEASURE FOOT VARUS Kenneth L. Martin, 1934 Del Mar Ave.,

San Gabriel, Calif. 91776 Filed May 6, 1965, Ser. No. 453,843 Claims. (Cl. 33-174) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An angulation gauge having a gauge piece for engagement with the sole of the foot and with a height-adjustable post rotationally mounted on the gauge piece having an index in association with the gauge piece. A knee-line sighting plate on the upper end of the post is sighted by a handle and is adjustable thereby to bring the index to the calibration on the gauge that visually shows the angle between the sighted line and the line from the ankle joint that is normal to the sole.

This invention relates to a gauge to measure the varus angle of the human foot to aid in the design of corrective shoe inserts to restore the turn of the foot to keep it in line with the knee joint. Such insertsnot part of this invention-ordinarily comprise plastic plates with sole-engaging surfaces that affect such corrective foot turning.

An object of the present invention is to provide an angulation gauge, as above characterized, that visually shows the angle of the ankle joint relative to the line normal to the sole of the foot and extending to the knee joint, thereby accurately showing the angle into which the foot must turn into varus to keep in such line with the knee joint.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gauge that is extensible to enable use thereof on feet varying greatly in size.

This invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and servicea-bility.

The above objects are realized in an angulation gauge that comprises a calibrated gauge piece adapted to be placed against the sole of a foot, an extensible post rotationally mounted on said gauge piece and provided With an index or pointer that extends into operative association with the calibrations of the gauge piece, a knee-line sighting plate carried by the upper end of said post to sight along a line from said sole to the knee joint of said foot, and a handle for rotationally adjusting the sighting position of said plate to thereby bring the index to the position over the calibration that visually shows the angle between said sighted line and the line from the ankle joint that is normal to the sole.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description, which is based on the accompanying drawing. However, said drawing merely shows and the following description merely describes one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

FIG. 1 is a top plan View of an angulation gauge to measure foot varus and shown in angle-measuring position.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

The drawing shows a foot 5 of a leg of a person in 3,358,373 Patented Dec. 19, 1967 prone position on a table 6. FIG. 1 shows the ankle joint 7 of said foot with a line 8 that extends from said joint normal to the sole of the foot. Said FIG. 1 also shows a line 10 from the sole of the foot, at or near where the line 8 intersects said sole, to the knee joint of said foot. The present gauge measures the angle 11 included between lines 8 and 10.

The angulation gauge that is illustrated comprises, generally, a gauge piece 15 provided with calibrations in degrees 16, an extensible post 17 mounted on said gauge piece and rotational on a pivot 18, an index or pointer 19 at the lower end of said post and visually associated with and adjacent to the calibrations 16, a knee-line sighting plate 20 affixed to the upper end of said post 17 and directed oppositely to the index 19, and a handle 21 extending from said upper post end oppositely to the plate 20.

The gauge piece 15 is shown as an angle member that has a part or leg 25 that, with a foot in the described position, is adapted to be applied against the sole 9, preferably the ball of the foot 26, and a part or leg 27 that, being at right angles to the leg 25, is horizontal as shown in FIG. 2. Said leg 27 has a circular edge 28 adjacent to which is provided the graduations 16. The same are in the nature of protractor markings except that zero'is at a center line that is normal to the plane of part 25 and left and right degree marking forming scales on either side of zero need only extend to the maximum angulation that may be encountered in a foot. The scale, as shown, extends for 30 on each side of zero, angulation that is greater than will be needed in practice. Of course, the scale may be extended to give greater angulation readings.

The post 17 is made to be extensible for increased range of use, the same being shown with three sections 29, 30 and 31, that are telescopically fitted, one in the other, so that the gauge may be used on infants and childrens feet, as well as on adults feet merely by extending or contracting the post sections, as desired. Said sections are preferably polygonal in section or keyed against relative rotation so that all of the sections, as a unit, may rotate on the pivot 18 which is shown as a screw that extends through the gauge leg 27 into the bottom of a fitting 32 to which the lower section 29 of the post is aflixed. At the upper end of the post section 31, a block 33 is affixed. The mentioned index 19 extends horizontally from the fitting 32, overstanding the upper face of the leg 27 of the gauge piece with the point 34 directed to be associated with the calibrations 16.

The plate 20 is shown as an elongated member that is afiixed to the post fitting 33 and extends oppositely to the index 19. An elongated slot 35 is provided in said plate, the same allowing for sighting along the line 10 to the knee joint whether or not such a line is marked on the feet 5. It will be clear that the post 17 is extended, as re quired, to locate the plate 20 immediately above or in contact with the heel 36 of the foot when the gauge leg 25 is disposed in frontal contact with the ball 26 of said foot.

The handle 21 is also afiixed to said fitting 33 and the same extends oppositely to the plate 20, said handle constituting a convenient means for manipulating the post and the members carried thereby.

When the gauge is applied to a foot 5, the leg 25 of the gauge piece will be normal to the line 8 which extends from the ankle joint 7. Therefore, zero on the scale 16 will lie along an extension of said line. Now, when the post 17 is angularly adjusted so the line 10 to the knee joint is sighted in the slot 35, the included angle 11 will be reproduced as a substantially equal and opposite angle between Zero and the index 19. Thus, said angle 11 is visually readable on the scale. It will be recognized that the lines 8 and 10 are marks that are located byobservation and according to the expertness of the doctor or other person. The intersection of these marks, while ideally at the sole of the foot, may in practice be offset outwardly therefrom with little or no efiect on the accuracy of the measurement. In any case, the present gauge, applied to the foot as above, will provide an angle reading on the scale 16 that is so close to the angle 11 that it is acceptable as a proper reading.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what is now contemplated to be the best mode of carrying out the invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of. the invention. Therefore, it is not described to restrict the invention to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A gauge to measure the varus angle of a foot comprising:

(a) a gauge piece having a part adapted to be placed into contact with the ball of the foot and provided with a scale reading in degrees on both sides of zero which is disposed on a line normal to said gauge part,

(b) a post rotationally mounted on the gauge piece,

(c) an index extending from said post in visual and operative relation to the scale on the gauge piece, and

(d) a plate extending from the upper end of the post in a direction opposite to the index and having a longitudinal slot for sighting along a line that extends from the sole of the foot to the knee joint of said foot, to define an angle between said line and a line that extends from the ankle joint of said foot to and normal to the sole, said scale and index visually showing an equal and opposite angle,

(e) the gauge piece comprising an angle member that has a first leg adapted for the mentioned contact with the ball of the foot, and a second leg extending normal to the first leg to extend longitudinally outward beyond the sole when said first leg is placed in conscopically fitted parts are formed to berelatively nonrotational.

for turning the post around its pivot, the same extending oppositely to the plate.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,161,504 11/1915 Miller 33-174 1,589,973 6/1926 Landa 33174 2,645,025 7/ 1953 Weinerman 33174 OTHER REFERENCES The Foot in Standing U.S. Armed Forces Medical Journal; vol. X, No. 8, August 1959, pp. 886 888.

LEONARD FORMAN, Primaly Examiner. FELIX J. DAMBROSIO, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A GUAGE TO MEASURE THE VARUS ANGLE OF A FOOT COMPRISING: (A) A GUAGE PIECE HAVING A PART ADAPTED TO BE PLACED INTO CONTACT WITH THE BALL OF THE FOOT AND PROVIDED WITH A SCALE READING IN DEGREES ON BOTH SIDES OF ZERO WHICH IS DISPOSED ON A LINE NORMAL TO SAID GUAGE PART, (B) A POST ROTATIONALLY MOUNTED ON THE GUAGE PIECE, (C) AN INDEX EXTENDING FROM SAID POST IN VISUAL AND OPERATIVE RELATION TO THE SCALE ON THE GUAGE PIECE, AND (D) A PLATE EXTENDING FROM THE UPPER END OF THE POST IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO THE INDEX AND HAVING A LONGITUDINAL SLOT FOR SIGHTING ALONG A LINE THAT EXTENDS FROM THE SOLE OF THE FOOT TO THE KNEE JOINT OF SAID FOOT, TO DEFINE AN ANGLE BETWEEN SAID LINE AND A LINE THAT EXTENDS FROM THE ANKLE JOINT OF SAID FOOT TO AND NORMAL TO THE SOLE, SAID SCALE AND INDEX VISUALLY SHOWING AN EQUAL AND OPPOSITE ANGLE, (E) THE GUAGE PIECE COMPRISING AN ANGLE MEMBER THAT HAS A FIRST LEG ADAPTED FOR THE MENTIONED CONTACT WITH THE BALL OF THE FOOT, AND A SECOND LEG EXTENDING NORMAL TO THE FIRST LEG TO EXTEND LONGITUDINALLY OUTWARD BEYOND THE SOLE WHEN SAID FIRST LEG IS PLACED IN CONTACT WITH THE BALL OF THE FOOT, THE MENTIONED POST BEING MOUNTED ON AND EXTENDING NORMALLY UPWARDLY FROM SAID SECOND LEG. 